The Trouble With Love
by truelove333
Summary: Richard Gold is a single father who is searching desperately for someone to love him and his son Brayden. Belle French is a teacher who just got out of a bad relationship, and praying for her prince charming to find her. When Brayden's struggle with reading gives these two hopeless romantics a chance to connect, can they find what they've been searching for in each other?
1. The Meeting

**I know I am the last person that should be starting a new story right now. I've hit a serious road block with my others and this idea just came to me. I promise to get back on track with my updates soon, but for now I hope you enjoy this. Let me know what you think!**

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Parent teacher conferences were never pleasant experiences for Richard Gold. He didn't enjoy them when he was the student and they hadn't gotten any better since he'd been a parent. His son, Brayden was in second grade, and was unfortunately falling behind in reading. His teacher, Ms. Blanchard had been explaining this to him for the past ten minutes and he had heard enough.

"What do you suggest I do?" he asked as politely as he could.

She smiled gently at him, "Well Ms. French runs an after school reading program. She works one-on-one with kids who need a little extra help, like Brayden. Her office is at the end of the hall, last door on the left. I think you should sign him up, he'd really benefit from it."

Richard smiled and stood from his seat, he extended his hand to the kind teacher and went on his way. Walking down the hall he glanced into each classroom, noticing the smiles on all the other parents faces, caused from the praises they'd been receiving from the teachers no doubt. Parents. He so wished that one day Brayden would be able to have that, but for now, it was just him. He was so lucky to have his son, and he knew that. He had never had much luck with relationships, having only had one not so serious girlfriend in high school. Then the one night stand that had lead to Brayden. The woman, Mildred, reluctantly agreed to have the baby, upon his groveling request. Nine months later, she was gone and he was daddy.

Richard stood in front of the closed door of Ms. French's office for a couple of minutes before finally gaining the courage to knock. It opened almost instantly, as if she'd been expecting his arrival. "Hello" she said in a cheerful voice. "What can I do for you?"

He cleared his throat. "I, um, wanted to talk to you about my son. About him joining your program."

Her smile got brighter. "Of course! Come right in." She opened the door wider and he slid in, finding his seat in the old fold-up chair. She walked around her desk went into the tiny filing cabinet, pulling out a form. "What is your son's reading level?"

Richard thought for a moment, "Well, he's in second grade, but his teacher Ms. Blanchard, says he's fallen behind. I'm not sure how much." She nodded and wrote a few things down on the sheet of paper, then handed it over to him along with a pen.

"I just need the basic information. Name, address, phone number, those sorts of things." Richard looked down at the paper and started filling in the lines. "How many days a week would you like your son to stay with me? Some just do one or two, other parents have their children stay after every day."

He looked up from the paper to meet her eyes. "I'm not really sure how much help he needs."

"Well, you can have him stay tomorrow, and I can give you my opinion, if that helps." Richard nodded and brought his focus back to the paper. "Do you read to him at home?" she asked. He froze. He had tried to start reading him bedtime stories, but lately Brayden had been rejecting him. He'd started asking questions about his mother, and Richard wasn't sure how to answer, so he didn't.

"I used to" he paused, "but lately, he's become disinterested." Looking down and noticing there was nothing left to fill in, he pushed the paper over to her side of the desk. She picked up and read over the details.

"Your Brayden's father?" Richard simply nodded. "He's such a sweet boy. I'm asked to go into the classrooms from time to time to help with reading lessons. He's always been so eager to learn."

Richard smiled at her comments. She said more good things about Brayden in five seconds, than that Blanchard had in ten minutes. "Thank you. Brayden's the best thing that ever happened to me, I just want him to be happy." When he tilted his head up to meet her eyes, he noticed that she was looking at him in a strange way, almost as if she found him admirable. He shook it off. "If that's all you need, I think I'll head out."

She shook her head, waking herself from the daze she was in. Walking him to the door, she shook his hand. "Thank you Ms. French" he said to here in the most sincere voice. She whispered a quiet 'you're welcome' and watched him leave.

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Arriving home was almost a blessing. He could see the faint glow of the television through the living room window. The babysitters car was parked along the curb. He sat in the car for a few moments, reflecting on his parenting. Where had he gone wrong? Brayden was already starting to pull away and he was barely eight years old. Should he have looked harder for someone to share his life with, to be Brayden's mother. He supposed it wasn't too late, but who in their right mind would want to be with someone as inexperienced with love as he was? He knew Brayden wanted a mother desperately. What he didn't know was how he was going to get one. With all this in mind, he trudged up to the front door of his home.

Richard had a decent enough job as an accountant to afford a nice house. It was two floors, nothing to extravagant, but it topped the neighbors. His car was nothing special. It was an old Cadillac that had definitely seen better days, but it still ran, so there was no point in getting rid of it. He never spent the money he made, unless it was on Brayden. He had already put a hefty amount away for his son's college education, wanting him to be able to go anywhere in the world he wanted.

Walking into his living room, he saw his son sitting on the floor in front of some mindless cartoon. His babysitter, Ashley Boyd was on the couch doing homework. She heard him come in and closed her books, packing them away. She went and said goodbye to Brayden, took her money and left.

"What did you do with Ashley tonight son?" Brayden shrugged his shoulders. Richard tried to brush that off the best he could. "Would you like to hear what your teacher said?" Another shrug of his shoulders. "She told me that you've been having a hard time reading." Silence. "So I signed you up for the after school reading program with Ms. French." Another shrug of his shoulders. "Maybe we should practice reading tonight before bed, so you're prepared for tomorrow."

"I don't wanna" the boy shrugged.

Richard sighed in defeat. "Alright. Make sure you turn off the tele after this episode, I don't want you watching too much of it. I'm gonna go start dinner.

"Can we order pizza?" Brayden asked.

"No, not tonight. Maybe tomorrow we'll do pizza" Richard told him before dragging his feet into the kitchen.

"But I want pizza now!" Brayden shouted.

"I said we can't tonight. I already planned to make that chicken dish that you like for tonight." Richard yelled back from the kitchen.

"I don't like chicken anymore. I want pizza!"

Richard leaned over the counter, his knuckles turning white from the grip he had on the edge. Then he got an idea. Walking back into the living room, phone in hand, he grabbed the TV remote off the coffee table and turned it off.

Brayden turned around, annoyed, "Hey I was watching that."

Ignoring his son's comment he held out the phone to him. "I'm going to make you a deal. We can have pizza tonight, IF, and only if you practice your reading tonight, for a whole hour. What do you say?"

He seemed to think over his father's proposal. He didn't really want to read, he wasn't very good at, but he really wanted pizza. "Fine. Will you help me practice?" he asked in that sweet little boy voice.

Richard smiled at his son, kneeling down to his eye level. "Of course I'll help you. I will always be here to help you Brayden, I promise you that." The boy smiled and informed his father that he wanted cheese pizza. Richard called and placed the order. He didn't like what he had just done. What was next, bribing him to do math with ice cream? Slumping down into the couch, he handed the remote back to Brayden, who zoned out the second Spongebob came back into focus on the screen.

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Isabelle French, Belle to her friends, spent her drive home thinking about Richard Gold. It was strange, since she had never met him before today. Pulling into her driveway, she noticed her ex-boyfriends car parked on the street. Groaning, she hit her head against the back of the seat. She guessed that this would have to happen eventually. They hadn't talked since he came home to find all of his stuff in a pile on the front lawn. Greg had told her that he was working late. So when he called her in the middle of having sex with someone that obviously wasn't her, new locks were the first things to change. She payed an obscene amount of money to have the locksmith come within the hour to change them, but it was worth it.

Belle was in no hurry to get out of the sanctuary of her car. Getting her bag together as slowly as she could, she reluctantly opened the door and stepped out. Greg stepped out of his own car and walked up to her.

"Can we talk inside?" he asked.

"No" she told him. "I don't want to talk. So you can talk alone, out here, and away from me." Belle walked briskly to her door, fumbling with the keys slightly before finding the right one. Greg followed her up the steps.

"Come on Belles, it didn't mean anything. It was just sex. It's not like you were gonna give me any, I had to get it somewhere, that's what secretaries are for."

Belle wanted to smack the smugness right out of him, but managed to keep her cool. Unlocking the door she whipped around to face him. "I don't want your explanations. I don't care why or who it was. All I give a shit about is that it did happen. You come to my house again, and I call the cops. Stay away from me." Slamming the door in his face, she felt a surge of relief flood through her. Flipping the lock and closing the blinds so he couldn't look in, she glanced around at her empty house. She was already thirty, time was running out for her possibility at a family. She had always wanted a lot of kids, but she didn't want to have them with the first guy that gave her the option. She wanted true love. She wanted the whole fairytale, but white knights and princes were hard to find these days.

She thought of Richard Gold then, and how lucky Brayden's mother is to have someone who is so obviously full of love. Why couldn't men like him ever find her. Pulling out her lesson book, she tried to take her mind off men by planning her lessons for tomorrow. She had a new student to cater to after all.


	2. New Beginnings

**Fastest update in a very long time haha. I'm half way through the next chapter for It All Started At The Pawn Shop so hopefully that is up within the weekend! Enjoy.**

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The following day Brayden found himself sulking at a desk, Ms. French right next to him, helping him sound out words that he already knew how to read. He wouldn't have pretended to not know how to read for so long if he'd known he'd get stuck after school. He just thought that if his daddy saw him being sad, then he'd go out and get a mother for him. Reading stupid first grade books was starting to get too boring. Ms. French seemed to notice. She closed the book.

"Brayden?" He kept his eyes locked on the top of his desk. "Why are you pretending not to know how to read? I can tell that you're pretending." He didn't say anything, just shrugged his shoulders. "Is something going on at home?" Nothing. "You can tell me sweetie. I want you to tell me." Still, nothing. "Are your mommy and daddy fighting? Are you trying to get their attention?"

"I don't have a mommy" Brayden confessed, his voice almost a whisper, with a tear gathering in the corner of his eye. "My daddy won't get me one" he choked out.

Belle was shocked for a long moment. "Honey, sometimes it's hard for a daddy to find a mommy."

"But why? Aren't there lots and lots of mommys out there? Don't they want me?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm sure they'd all want you if they met you, who wouldn't?" He perked up a bit at that. "But it's not just about wanting you. They have to want your daddy too, and sometimes it's very hard to fall in love, especially when you're older."

"Why?" he asked.

Belle sucked in a breath. "Love is a difficult thing to explain. It's something that connects one person to another." Seeing his confused expression, she tried a different approach. "Have you ever had a birthday cake, where the candles took a really long time to catch fire?" Brayden nodded his head. "Was there ever a candle that just didn't want to go out?" He nodded his head again in excitement. "Well, love is kind of like birthday candles, sometimes it takes a while to light, sometimes it blows out fast, and sometimes it refuses to die. Does that make sense?"

Brayden nodded his head again. "So daddy needs to find a candle that I can't blow out?" Belle chuckled lightly at his interpretation, but agreed. "Are you in love Ms. French?"

Belle's eyes widened, "No, Brayden. I haven't found my candle yet."

"Maybe my daddy is your candle! And your his!"

"Brayden, I don't even know your father, and he doesn't know me. Let's get back to reading okay. I'll go get some more challenging stories for you." Belle got out of the desk to go get a different book for Brayden, taking a little extra time to try and wrap her mind around the conversation she just had with him.

Brayden looked back down at his desk. He liked Ms. French. He wouldn't mind at all if she was his new mother. Maybe his dad wouldn't mind it either. She is very pretty, and she knows how to explain things so he can understand, and she was nice to talk to. Before he knew it Belle was back next to him with a new book, a more challenging book.

"Alright Brayden, this is the level of reading your class is at, I don't want you to pretend anymore. Read as much as you can to me. Take as much time as you need to." She set the book down on the desk, and pointed to the part she wanted him to start on.

He read through the story with great ease, and Belle was impressed. "That was wonderful, Brayden."

"My daddy me practice reading before bed. We read about a prince" he stated proudly.

"Which prince?" Belle asked.

"The one who gets turned to a monster and the pretty lady comes and turns him back into a human! Then there was a big fight, and talking candles and clocks!" Belle listened intently as he continued to explain the story to her in full detail. Her mind did drift a little though. She couldn't stop thinking about the boys mother. 'How could anyone want to leave this boy? He's too perfect for his own good' she thought. She knew she shouldn't, but she had to know, when his father came, she would ask simply ask him. She would have to talk to him about Brayden's sneakiness anyway.

Richard arrived at three sharp to pick up Brayden. He was a little nervous about how it went. In truth, he had done most of the reading last night, while Brayden just followed along. He hoped his son would be able to catch up with his class as soon as possible. He didn't want anyone teasing him or anything like that.

He walked into the classroom to find Brayden at a desk, reading a story out loud to Ms. French who was sitting at the desk beside him. There was no way he improved so much over an hour. Belle noticed his presence, and without telling Brayden to stop, she got up from the desk and made her way over to him.

"I'd like to talk to you about Brayden." That didn't sound good to Richard, but he silently signaled for her to go on. "He's been pretending this whole time. He's actually ahead of his class, as far as reading level goes.

Richard blinked a few times, processing that information. "Do you know why?" he asked her.

"He confessed that, he thought by seeming sad and behind in class that you might be persuaded to find him... a mother." Belle sucked in a breath, and Richard's face fell. "I tried to explain that it wasn't as simple as that. I tried to explain what love was, and I think he grasped the concept, but I would still talk to him about it." Richard kept his gaze down at his feet, embarrassed. "I take it this isn't a big surprise to you, is it?"

"No" he choked, "no it's not. I knew that, that he wanted a mother, but I didn't know he wanted one that badly. I feel like such a failure." Belle rested her hand on his shoulder, in silent support. "I wish I was enough for him." Richard watched his son, still reading diligently at his little wooden desk. Belle felt a swell of tears get caught in her throat at his heartbreaking statement that he believed he wasn't good enough for his son. "Oh, God. I'm sorry I just sprung all that emotional baggage on you. I haven't gone to my shrink in a couple weeks, I've been... and now you know I see a shrink. I don't even want to know what you may be thinking."

He made a move to walk over to Brayden, but Belle stopped him. "I'm thinking, that you are a father who loves his son very much, and is doing everything he can to make him happy." Richard gave her a crooked smile, that she decided was the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen.

"Too bad he won't see those things until he's left for college" he said. He looked over to Belle, who still had her hand on his shoulder. "I suppose he won't be staying after with you any longer?"

Belle shrugged her shoulders. "The program isn't specifically for children with difficulties reading. I can give him more challenging material, keep him interested. I think part of the reason he doesn't read in class is because he's just bored. Of course it's up to you."

"I suppose him getting a jump start on things so early isn't a bad thing." Brayden finally noticed his father was there, so he closed up his book and grabbed his backpack.

"He doesn't know I told you about his secret. I told him he should tell you himself, so act surprised. I just wanted to cushion the blow." Belle whispered into his ear, before Brayden came over to them. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart. Don't forget to bring my book back, it's one of my favorites."

"I promise I will. Bye Ms. French." Brayden waved goodbye, grabbing his father by the hand and dragging him out of the room.

"Thank you Ms. French, for your help. I'll make sure he brings your book back."

Belle waved to them from the doorway, again watching him walk away. It was a bit alarming, this strange feeling washing over her. It felt like a crush. But none of her past crushes had given her such a tingly sensation in the pit of her stomach like Richard did. Maybe it was the way he was so unaware of how attractive he was. He wasn't the typical definition of handsome, but to Belle he was. It wasn't only his physical features that had grabbed her attention, it was the softness in his voice, the devotion he had to his son, and even the sadness in those chocolate brown eyes of his. She wondered if he maybe felt the same way about her.

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That night, after Brayden was in bed and Richard had gotten comfortable with a book in the small study he had added off of the living room, he found his mind wandering to Ms. French. She had comforted him and she hadn't thought he was weak. She told him he was a good father. Brayden still hadn't told him about the fact that he was, in fact, a very good reader. It didn't seem like such a horrible little lie, if it meant he got to talk with Ms. French again. God he wished he had asked for her first name. He bet it was something precious. Richard knew he was getting way in over his head. He felt like a teenager with his first real crush. Aside from being a fully grown man, the rest of that statement was true.

Richard had never really been with anyone before. He had a stupid high school relationship that lasted maybe six months at most and he'd only been intimate once in his life and that could be blamed on too much whiskey. To be honest, he couldn't even remember what happened. He liked to think of himself as an old-fashioned romantic. He wanted to wait for the right person to give himself to. A lot of people, especially throughout college, thought he was crazy. There were awful rumors spread about him and his 'manliness'. Despite all of that though, he knew that he was making the right choice. Sex didn't really mean anything unless it was with someone you cared about. Now, he finally thought he might have found someone.

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The next day Richard arrived at the school at quarter of three, a bit earlier than yesterday, but maybe he would get to find out a little more about Ms. French. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, not wanting to knock and disturb the children, but not quite sure what to do. Luckily Ms. French seemed to notice him. He felt his hands get sweaty as she got closer and inwardly screamed at himself to get a grip.

"Hello Mr. Gold. I didn't expect you until three" she said in that laced with honey voice of hers.

Richard gulped. "Well, I got out of work a bit early and thought I would just come straight here."

"Well, Brayden's doing wonderfully. He's by the bookshelf with Henry Mills. They're both very interested in fairytales." She looked over the classroom, making sure each child was doing what they were supposed to be doing, before turning her attention directly to him. "So, Brayden didn't fess up? I'm sorry, I really thought he would. Did you talk to him at all?"

Richard loved how concerned and sincere she sounded. "I tried, but he has an amazing ability to shut me out. He doesn't want to accept that I'm a difficult man to love."

"That's nonsense!" Belle protested. Richard's eyes went wide, as did hers. "I mean... I just don't see... this is embarrassing." Belle's cheeks reddened and Richard couldn't help but smile at her.

"Thank you" he told her. "For not thinking I'm hopeless."

She smiled back at him. "Well, one of us has to." There was a moment being created between them. Her crystal blue eyes, his chocolate brown ones, staring into each other. All of the noise around them, the bustling in the hallways, the turning of pages, the mindless chatter of gossiping eight year olds, ceased to exist. Just as Richard was about to open his mouth to say something, one of the kids ran in-between them, tugging on Belle's dress, complaining that she had to go potty. "Alright Grace, go ahead, the one straight across the hall so I can watch you." The little girl ran past them and into the bathroom.

"Well, um..." Richard trailed off, not quite sure what he was planning to say. "Brayden has a sleepover tonight, so I should probably take him home to get ready."

Belle's face fell a little. "Oh. So what are your big Friday night plans then?"

"I'm not sure" he said, "I might go see a non-animated movie." Belle nodded in approval. "Do you, know of anything good that's playing?"

Belle's smile brightened, "Well, I myself have been dying to see _The Butler_. It's going to be taken out of theaters soon. I heard it was fabulous" she gushed.

"Perhaps, you'd like to accompany me?" his voice was timid. He sounded so afraid that she would say no. Belle shot his doubts down immediately accepting the invitation. "Would you maybe like to get dinner first? Or after? Or just a movie is fine as well, whatever you want is fine."

Belle laughed lightly at him, "Dinner sounds perfect. I have your number, so I'll look up the movie times and after all the kids have gone home I'll give you a call."

"Great" he said softly, so only she could hear. "You know, I don't know your first name."

"It's Isabelle, but I prefer to be called Belle" she told him.

"Belle" he whispered. "It suits you."

Blushing for the second time that afternoon, she waved goodbye once again, watching Richard and Brayden walk down the hallway.


	3. First Dates

Richard was surprised later that day when the phone rang. The caller ID showed the school's number, and at the time he couldn't think of a reason they would be calling, until he answered.

"Hi Richard, it's Belle" her voice said through the telephone. Richard didn't know what to say for a few moments and Belle had noticed. "Are you there?" she asked.

"Uh yes, yes I'm here. Sorry it's just, well I'm surprised you called" he admitted.

"Of course I called" she said, sounding hurt, and Richard mentally slapped himself for making her feel bad. "Anyway, there are only a couple of times we could go. There's one showing at six and another nine. I was thinking nine, so we could grab dinner. What do you think?"

"That sounds perfect. I planned on dropping Brayden off at his friends at around five, I can pick you up at six for dinner if that works for you."

Belle smiled into the phone, "Six works great. I live over on Winslow St. I'm in the only house that's not painted white, you can't miss it. So what were you thinking for dinner?"

Richard laughed, "That is going to be a surprise."

"Well I need to know how to dress" Belle complained. "Will it be fancy or more casual?"

"I told you it's a surprise. Anything you wear will be fine, but don't worry, you won't require a ball gown or anything like that" he teased.

"Good to know." There was a not so awkward pause between them. "I'll see you tonight then?" Belle said, creating an end to the conversation.

"Yes. Tonight." With that they both hung up. Richard slumped against the kitchen counter. He was still in shock that their little date was actually happening. Brayden was upstairs deciding which video game he wanted to bring with him. It was only 4:00. Making a quick phone call to a friend of his concerning the dinner arrangements, he then rushed upstairs to see how far along Brayden had gotten with his packing. He hadn't gotten far. Quickly throwing the necessary clothes and toiletry items into his backpack, Richard caved and allowed Brayden to take as many games as he wanted. With Brayden packed and ready to go, all Richard had to do was change. He had told Belle she didn't need a ballgown, so he probably didn't need a suit. He pulled out a nice pair of dark-wash jeans that he never wore and a crisp navy blue button down shirt. He held out a tie in front of the mirror but decided against it. After he was changed, it was nearly time to drop Brayden off. He decided he wouldn't do too much harm if he dropped him off early.

It wasn't far to Brayden's friend Peter's house. His mother, Wendy opened the door and Brayden ran past her with a mumbled goodbye to his father. They exchanged pleasantries in the doorway and Richard left. He decided to stop at the local flower shop to pick up flowers.

He had never been one for picking out flowers, since he never really had anyone to give them to. He had some time, so he waited for the shop owner to come out of the back to make some suggestions for him.

"How can I help you sir?" the man asked. Richard thought he looked to be a bit too bulky to be florist, but he wasn't about to comment.

"I'm not sure what type of flower is appropriate for a first date" Richard stated as manly and proudly as he could.

The older man smiled at him. "Have you known this woman for awhile, or just a short time?"

"I've only know her for a couple of days."

The man nodded his head, turning his back to glance around the room of flowers. "Be honest, mate, how do you feel about her? Just a fling or something more?"

Richard thought about Belle's eyes, he thought about her honey sweet voice on the other end of the telephone. He felt the butterflies get all riled up in the pit of his stomach just y thinking about her. "Something more. Something much more" Richard smiled.

The man plucked something from one of the many buckets, when he turned, he handed the single red rose to Richard. Richard held it carefully in his hand, "Perfect" he mumbled under his breath.

"Good" the man replied. "What's the lucky lady's name, if I may ask?"

"It's Belle" Richard told him.

The man smiled, "It's on the house tonight." Richard gawked at him. "Don't worry about it, I'll charge you extra for the next one." Richard thanked him and made his way back to his car. It was still only 5:45. Winslow St. was only a five minute drive from the shop, and he didn't want to seem too eager. There wasn't really a long way to get there, so he just decided to arrive early and damn whatever consequences there may be.

He pulled up along the curb of the little blue house. He noticed the flowers in the window sill, the yellow shudders, and the welcome sign hanging from the front door. No, her house was most certainly not like the others. Taking a deep breath, rose in hand, he stepped out of the car. He walked up the pathway slowly and rang the doorbell. She was at the door almost immediately. Richard couldn't help but stare at her. She was wearing a navy blue, knee length dress that matched his shirt. It had a sweetheart neckline and it hugged her waist perfectly, showing off just the right amount of curves. Her long brown curls were down and tousled delicately. She was breathtaking, and he was at a loss for words.

"Is that for me?" she asked, gesturing to the rose. Richard smiled and handed it to her. She brought it up to her nose and hummed her approval. "Would you like to come in for a moment?"

"I'd love to" he told her, stepping through the doorway. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you." Belle shuffled into her small kitchen, looking for some sort of vase to put the rose in. "So, where are we going for dinner?"

As she reappeared in the foyer he took the moment to appreciate how lovely she looked. "I'm still not telling you. You'll see when we get there" he held out his arm to her, "Shall we go?"

She glared at him a bit but still accepted his arm, turning off the lights and making sure the door was locked, they exited her house and hopped into his car. "Can't you at least give me a hint?" Richard pretended to zip his mouth shut and threw the 'key' into the backseat. "Don't mistake me for a timid little girl. I will go find that make-believe key.

He chuckled, a deep sound produced from the very core of his stomach. "I have no doubt that you would. I still wouldn't tell you what we were doing though."

Belle tried to pretend to be angry at him but it was so difficult when he was sitting there looking so perfect. The first thing she noticed when she saw him was that his eyes looked timid, almost as if he was afraid that she would slam the door in his face. She wondered what could have happened to him in the past to make him feel that way.

They made small talk on the drive over to the docks. It was pleasant and strangely familiar. Richard got out of the car and rushed over to get the door for Belle who was already half way out of the car. "You know, you're supposed to wait for me to open the door for you."

Belle laughed and gracefully slid back into the car, closing the door. Richard smiled back through the car window and reopened the door to help her out. She took his extended hand, "Why thank you kind sir", and then she did her best to curtsey.

Richard bowed in return, "Tis no matter m'lady." They walked arm-in-arm through the maze of docks until they reached the end, where there was a small sailboat, stringed up with twinkling christmas lights and a small table for two placed at the stern. Belle gasped at the sight of it.

"How did you do this? Is the boat yours?" she asked excitedly.

"No, it's not mine. It's a friend of mine's, he owed me a favor, so I cashed it in." Belle beamed at him, and he mentally patted himself on the back. He stepped into the boat first and then helped Belle in after him. "I wasn't sure what you'd like to eat so I had them bring us some classic Italian. I hope that's alright?" he asks reaching into the basket behind him. He dished out the spaghetti first, and then the meatballs, then the bread.

"This smells wonderful Richard" Belle told him. "I'm happy you asked me out tonight."

Richard blushed at her comment. "I'm happy you accepted." They both took small bites of their food. "I'm sorry, I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to dating" Richard admitted. "It's been a while."

Belle took another bite of spaghetti before responding. "That's alright, I was never really good at it either." Richard smiled and turned around again, this time to a small cooler. He pulled out a bottle of wine, and poured them each a glass. "So, what do you do for work?"

Sipping at his wine, "I'm afraid it's not very exciting. I'm an accountant" he said dryly. "Where are you from? I've lived in Storybrooke my whole life so I know you aren't from here."

"Well, I was actually born in Australia" she said. Richard's eyes widened and urged her to keep going. "I lived there until I was around ten, then..." she trailed off, becoming uncomfortable with the conversation.

"It's alright Belle, you don't have to tell me anything." Richard reached out to hold her hand across the table, squeezing reassuringly. "How long have you lived here, in Storybrooke?" he asked changing the subject slightly.

"Not too long really. I've worked at the school for almost six years now, but I only just moved to town a couple of years ago. I tend to keep to myself, that's probably why you haven't seen me around." They carried on the conversation, learning a little about each other's pasts and aspirations. Before they knew it they were talking and laughing like they had known each other for years.

"It's already 8:40, we better go if we want to catch that movie" Richard told her, standing up and moving to exit the boat.

"Should't we clean up a bit first?" Belle asked accepting his hand, intertwining their fingers.

"Don't worry, clean up is another part of the favor" he winked at her.

She giggled at his antics, "Must have been some favor."

They held hands through the movie, stealing quick glances at each other like lovestruck teenagers wanting to do more, but unsure of what exactly _more _is. When the evening came to a close, Richard walked Belle to her front door like a proper gentleman to say goodnight.

"I had a wonderful time" she told him.

"As did I." They stood awkwardly for a moment. Belle made no motion to enter her home and Richard made no motion to return to his car.

"I'm having a small party next Saturday. Just a little get together with some old friends. I'd love it if you could come. You can bring Brayden too, there will be other kids there for him to play with."

"I'd love to, and I'm sure Brayden would love to as well." He shuffled his feet, looking down at their still locked hands. "I guess I should head home, it is getting late."

Belle nervously bit the inside of her cheek. "I should probably head to bed too." They both stared at each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Goodnight" he whispered.

"Goodnight" she whispered back.

Then, suddenly, they were leaning in, closer and closer until their lips met in a soft kiss. Richard's free hand came up to cup her cheek, daring to pull her deeper into the kiss. Belle brought her free hand to rest in the ends of his long hair, her fingers toying with it. They stepped closer to one another, closing all the gaps between them. When they finally had to pull apart to breathe, they leaned their foreheads against each others and sighed contentedly. They had finally found what they were searching for.


	4. Backyard Luncheon

**Sorry it's a little short. Next chapter will be longer. :)**

* * *

They saw each other three more times during the week. Three more dates and three more kisses. When Saturday finally arrived, Richard was beyond nervous. Four dates within a seven day time span is a lot, but was it too soon to be meeting Belle's friends. Then there was Brayden. He didn't want to get the boys hopes up about Belle just in case it didn't work out. He almost wished that he hadn't told Brayden about Belle's party, then he wouldn't have to take him. Brayden was very excited though. He loved to meet new people and make new friends, very much the opposite of his father.

Arriving at Belle's house precisely at 1:00 like she had told him to. Brayden ran up to the front door to press the doorbell and to Richard's surprise the bulky man from the flower shop opened the door. "Hello there Richard" the man said.

Richard gulped, "I wasn't aware you knew Belle" he managed to get out.

"Well she is my daughter" he said, his tone of voice making Richard flinch.

"Papa be nice" Belle's voice called from behind him. Richard heard her heels clacking there way to the door, and he relaxed a bit knowing she was close. "Hey Brayden, I'm glad you came. The other kids are outside if you want to go join them." Brayden nodded excitedly and ran past the adults and through the house. Belle stepped past her father to take hold of Richard's hand. "I'm happy you're here too." Richard smiled and tightened his grip on her hand.

"Well, since Belle won't make the introductions I suppose I will. Moe French" he said, extending his hand.

"Just one question" Richard said before taking the man's hand. "You knew, this whole week that I was going out with _your _daughter, and you said nothing because?"

"You bought the roses from my father?" Belle asked, stepping closer to him yet again.

"I thought it would make our first meeting more interesting" Moe said.

Richard nodded curtly, "That it did." Moe huffed and turned to walk back in the house.

As soon as he was out of sight Belle wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him into a tight embrace. "I missed you yesterday" she told him. In response he pulled her back slightly so he could kiss her. His hand cupped the back of her neck, pulling her closer and his other had splayed across her back.

"I missed you too" he said breaking off from the kiss.

She smiled up at him, "Come on" she said grabbing his hand, "I want to introduce you to everyone". Richard followed her dutifully through the house. The backyard was full of chatter. He recognized Ms. Blanchard and a couple other teachers that Brayden had had in the past. Belle seemed eager to show him off though he didn't understand why. He didn't think that he was as special as she was making him out to be.

He spotted Brayden playing on the grass with the other kids. The boy seemed a bit older and the girl younger, but they seemed to be getting along. Richard made sure to keep close to Belle throughout the afternoon, in fear that her father would strangle him. When Belle excused herself to go to the bathroom, there was no one there to protect him. Moe had been eyeing him since he walked through the door.

Richard tried to keep his face expressionless, but Moe had a good foot on him and at least 50 pounds, he didn't really have a fighting chance. "How much has Belle told you about her last relationship?"

"We haven't discussed exes yet" Richard told him.

"Well, the guy was a real prick" Moe hissed. "He and Belle were together almost two years, even moved in together." Richard simply nodded his head. "She caught him and some blonde in their bed together. He'd been screwing her on the side for months." Gaining that information made Richard grind his teeth in anger. The grip he had on the lawn chair he'd been leaning against was almost tight enough to snap it's frame. "She wouldn't let me pound on him, but if you hurt her, in anyway, you can be sure that you won't be as lucky".

Richard took a deep breath through his nose. "If I hurt her, I'll come find you myself" he promised Moe. "I would have killed the bastard if I were you". Moe's eyes went wide.

"Well, I believe we've found something to bond over" Moe said.

"And what's that?" Belle asked as she approached them.

"Nothing dear, just manly things" Moe covered less than smoothly.

"Oh, alright then" Belle smirked. She linked her fingers through Richard's and gave his hand a squeeze. "I think people are going to start leaving soon" she whispered to Richard, knowing he was uncomfortable meeting so many new people. "Brayden seemed to have a marvelous time" she commented.

Richard looked over at his son, getting up from his spot on the grass to say goodbye to his new friends. "Aye, he did at that."

"What about you?" Richard looked back to her. At this point Moe had cleared away from the couple, giving them some privacy. "Did you have a good time?"

He smiled, "I liked spending time with you." Belle crinkled her nose and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "You will find that I am not the best party guest. I'm not much of a chatter box."

Belle guided him over to say goodbye to her friends. "Who said I wanted you to be? I like you just as you are." Their eyes locked for a moment, the surrounding voices fading to their ears, there was no one in the world but them. Until Richard felt a very insistent tug on his pant leg.

"Daddy, I don't feel so good" Brayden whimpered holding his stomach. "My tummy hurts."

"Didn't I tell you not to overdue it on the cookies?" Richard asked patiently.

"I don't member" the boy mumbled, looking down at his shoes.

"Well, alright then, I guess we better get you home." With that Richard scooped the boy up. He gave Belle a quick peck on the lips, said his goodbyes to the other guests and headed for home.

xxxxxxxxxx

After Richard had left, Belle couldn't wait to ask her friends what they thought of him. She hoped that they approved because she was already half in-love with the man. "So what do you all think?" she asked the the other females in attendance as the men were busy talking about sports.

Mary-Margaret nervously bit her lip, while the other friends cast their gazes anywhere but on Belle. Belle, not being ignorant by any means, read the body language instantly. "You don't like him, do you?" she whispered brokenly.

"Sweetie, it's not that we don't like him" her friend Rory spoke up, "It's just that, we don't think he's right for you." Belle's face remained fallen.

"He's a wonderful guy, and a great father" Mary-Margaret added, "he's just..."

"He's already got a life Belle. He has a family, and you're just gonna end up hurt again" her friend Ruby finished.

Belle took a shaky breath in. "I appreciate your honesty, but I'm finally going to take my advice and decide my own fate." Her friends sighed and opened their mouths to speak, but Belle cut them off. "I love you three, but I think I already love him too. I know it's crazy, but I feel like he's what has been missing from my life."

On that note her friends and their partners left, leaving Belle alone with her father. "I'm not crazy right?" Belle asked him as they cleaned up the backyard.

"What do you mean?" Moe asked, stopping his actions to look at his daughter.

"The others didn't think that Richard was up-to-par. They think I'm wasting my time with him." Moe watched as she continued to clean. He put a hand on her arm, pulling her into a hug.

"I think, that the man might actually be worthy of your affection."

Belle looked up, bright-eyed, with a cheshire cat grin on her face. "Really? You like him?"

Moe nodded, "You can tell a lot about the man by the way he looks at a woman. The way he looked at you... That man has already devoted himself to you, Belle. I think you deserve some devotion."

Belle gave her father one last hug before sending him on his way, promising to call him the next day. After she finished cleaning the yard, she decided to collapse on the couch. Before she could reach it, the shrill of her phone began ringing throughout the house. Groaning she reached over the kitchen counter, not bothering to look at the caller ID before answering with a tired hello.

"Hey, Belle" Richard's timid voice rang on the other end.

At the sound of his voice Belle had perked up a bit. "Hey, I was hoping you'd call" she confessed. "How's Brayden feeling?"

Richard smiled, "He is jumping on his bed as we speak." Belle laughed and Richard prided himself on drawing the wonderful sound from her lips. "Since he's feeling so much better, we can keep our plan to go to the aquarium tomorrow."

"He has mentioned a certain fascination with sharks" Belle noted.

"Well, I was calling to see, if maybe you wanted to come with us?" he asked. "I know it's last minute, but if you don't have any plans, it should be fun."

"You don't have to convince me. I'd love to go with you" she told him.

Richard cleared his throat, "Great, I'll come pick you up tomorrow at 11 or so."

"I can't wait, and you're sure Brayden's okay with me intruding?" she asked, just to make sure she wasn't overstepping any invisible boundaries.

He scoffed, "Are you kidding, he's been asking me all week to invite you."

"And you waited all week to do so?" she scolded.

"Well" he paused, "I was afraid you'd say no."

"I'll never say no if it means spending time with you, and your son" Belle reassured him.

"I'm going to take that as a promise" he teased.

"Good, because that's exactly what it is" she told him seriously.

"I'm glad. I'll see you tomorrow, Belle."

"See you tomorrow, Richard."

Hanging up the phone Belle dialed Mary-Margaret's number. She picked up on the third ring. "Mary-Margaret? I'm going to have to cancel our lunch plans for tomorrow."


End file.
